Enhancing Critical Thinking in ESL CLASSES

ENHANCING CRITICAL THINKING IN ESL CLASSESBenefits & techniques

LOSING “WHY ” The monkeys in this experience have no

critical thinking skills. What about you? Are you a critical thinker? Let’s see……………………

ADVANCE ORGANIZER Losing critical thinking Are you a critical thinker A Definition for critical thinking Critical thinking skills Critical thinking exercises Using sitcoms to raise critical thinking in

your class (8 exercises)

ARE YOU A CRITICAL THINKER? Please answer the questionnaire

PRISONERS AND HAT PUZZLE 4 prisoners are caught and are to be punished. The judge

allow them to be freed if they can solve a puzzle. If they don’t they will be hanged. They agreed. The prisoners are lined up on some steps (shown down) they are all facing in the same direction. A wall separates the fourth man from the other three.

So to summarize: Man 1 can see man 2 and 3 Man 2 can see man 3 Man 3 can see non of the others Man 4 can see non of the others The prisoners are wearing hats. They are told that they are

two white and two black hats. the men initially don’t know what color hat they are wearing. They are told to shout out the color of the hat that they are wearing as soon as they know for certain what color it is.

That are not allowed to turn around or move. They are not allowed to talk to each other. They are not allowed to take their hats off.

WHICH ONE WILL SHOUT THE COLOR OF HIS HAT FIRST?

DID YOU GIVE UP? Man 2 is the person who will start

shouting because 3 and 4 can not shout. Man 2 can see that 3rd is wearing black…..so if the color of his hat was also black then man 1 should have shouted that he is wearing white.

CONNECT THE NINE DOTS USING ONLY FOUR LINES

THE “INSIDE THE BOX ANSWER”

THE “OUTSIDE THE BOX ANSWER”

SO…WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

Simply…thinking outside the box.

WHAT ARE THE SKILLS OF CRITICAL THINKING Inference Explanation Self-assessment Interpretation Analysis evaluation

CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISES Thinking outside the box Socratic thinking Text analysis

EXERCISES The balloon debate Puzzles The poem

THE BALLOON DEBATE There are 3 men and 3 women in a hot air balloon. The first man is a scientist who has discovered a

cure for cancer. The second man is a president. The third man is the pilot of the balloon. The first woman is a doctor. The second woman is a pregnant woman and has a

family. The third woman is the owner of the balloon. Round one, the balloon is falling , get rid of

one of you ( team vote) Round two, get rid of three of the people on

the balloon (team vote) Round three, keep only one person in the

balloon (team vote)

SOLVE THE PUZZLE1. what kind of pool can’t you swim in?2. What suit lasts longer than you do?3. What helps you keep your teeth together?4. How do you make a lemon drop?5. What has a fork and mouth, but cannot eat?6. What has a neck but no head?7. What comes down but never goes up?8. What has teeth, but can’t chew?9. What has four wheels and flies?10. Which hand should you stir soup with?11. If six children and two dogs were under just one

umbrella how come none of them got wet?

WHAT’S THE MISSING WORD IN THE POEM The ………… who walks in the shadow of

the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his

faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you

enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of

your own mind. Gibran K. Gibran - The

Prophet

“My mind is a garden,My thoughts are the seeds,My harvest is either FLOWERS OR WEEDS” Mel Weldon

IT’S NOT A TALENT NOR A GIFTIT’S A PROCESS OF HARD WORK

USING SITCOMS TO RAISE CRITICAL THINKING IN ESL CLASSES

WHY SITCOMS?

PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS FOR SITCOMS Preparation

You will need one copy of the handout for each student.

ProcedureIntroduce the topic of sitcoms. Write the word "sitcom" on the board and ask students what it means.

SITCOMS ACTIVITIES:1. Normal lesson.2. Listen and tell.3. Guess what’s happening.4. Listen and guess.5. Prediction.6. Running commentary.7. Same lines, different stories.8. List vocabulary.

REFERENCES “Developing critical thinking in English

classroom” Asmaa Zakaria/ Nile TESOL 2010. “Using sitcoms to enhance language learning”

Fadia Salman, Reem Hashem/ Nile TESOL 2010. “ on teaching” Gibran K. Gibran - The Prophet. “101 American English Riddles ,understanding

Language and Culture Through Humor” Harry Collis.

“how to create bureaucracy in your organization” www.youtube.com

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/activities/sitcom-information-activity

Thank you